MONTREAL – After nine days of inactivity, the Canadiens will battle the Edmonton Oilers for the fourth time this year on Tuesday night at the Bell Centre.
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Here’s everything you need to know heading into the contest:
The latest news
Interim head coach Dominique Ducharme’s squad jumped on the Bell Sports Complex ice on Monday night for the first time since March 22. Forwards Tyler Toffoli and Joel Armia were the lone absentees at practice. Toffoli is still dealing with a lower-body injury and won’t be in uniform against Edmonton. For his part, Armia’s name remains on the NHL’s COVID-19 protocols list. Newcomer Eric Staal was also absent. He is serving a mandatory quarantine before joining the rest of the group.
Following the skate, Ducharme confirmed that forward Michael Frolik is expected to make his season debut on Tuesday night.
Watch list
Better late than never: Frolik will finally get his chance to suit up and play for the Canadiens. The 33-year-old Czech winger appeared in two games with the AHL’s Laval Rocket earlier this season. He hasn’t seen NHL action since March 7, 2020 when he was still a member of the Buffalo Sabres. In 28 career games against Edmonton, the former first-round selection has nine goals, seven assists and 16 points.
A reliable bunch: The line of Tomas Tatar, Phillip Danault and Brendan Gallagher is hoping to pick up where it left off when the Canadiens were forced to pause. The three forwards led the group to a 5-4 shootout victory over the Vancouver Canucks on March 20 at the Bell Centre, combining for five points (2 goals, 3 assists). Tatar lit the lamp, snapping an 11-game goal drought in the process. The 30-year-old Slovak also scored the shootout-winner. Over the last three games, the trio has registered 11 points (4 goals, 7 assists).
Building on the positive: After enduring a nine-game goalless stretch, Nick Suzuki has markers in his last two games. The 21-year-old centreman would like to stay on that track as the team plays 25 games in 43 days to close out the regular season. In three career games versus Edmonton, the former first-round selection of the Vegas Golden Knights (13th overall) has two assists. Suzuki ranks fourth on the roster in scoring with 20 points alongside Tatar.
At the other end
The Oilers were in action on Monday night against the Toronto Maple Leafs at Scotiabank Arena. Dave Tippett’s squad secured a 3-2 victory in overtime. Forwards Josh Archibald and Kyle Turris scored in regulation, before defenseman Darnell Nurse found the back of the net with 17 seconds remaining in the extra frame. Goaltender Mike Smith made 29 saves to pick up his 12th win of the season. The Oilers have won four of their last five games.
Watch list
Koskinen in the mix: Since Smith started versus Toronto, Mikko Koskinen should face the Canadiens. Koskinen dropped his previous two outings against Montreal this season, posting a 4.06 goals-against average and a .886 save percentage. Over the course of his career, the Finnish netminder owns a 3-2-1 record versus the Canadiens, along with a 3.30 goals-against average and a .896 save percentage.
Stick to the plan: The Canadiens have managed to neutralize Oilers stars Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl so far this year, which isn’t an easy task. The pair has combined for just three points (3 assists) in three games against Montreal, which is particularly impressive when you consider what they’ve accomplished to date. McDavid leads the League with 63 points (21 goals, 42 assists), while Draisaitl ranks second with 53 points (19 goals, 34 assists). McDavid is currently riding an 11-game point streak. He has 23 points (7 goals, 16 assists) during that span.
One productive blueliner: Along with McDavid and Draisaitl up front, Tippett can also count on offensive contributions from Nurse on the back end. With his game-winner in Toronto, the Hamilton, ON native now leads all defensemen with 12 goals. It was his second game-winner of the season. The 26-year-old rearguard is also in the midst of a five-game point streak. He has four goals and seven points during that stretch. In 36 games this season, the former first-round pick of the Oilers (7th overall) has 12 goals and 27 points.
On paper
Here are a few key stats from the three previous meetings between Edmonton and Montreal this season:
| EDMONTON | MONTREAL | |
|---|---|---|
| 1-2-0 | Record | 2-1-0 |
| 5 | Goals | 8 |
| 92 | Shots on goal | 108 |
| 7.7% | PP% | 25% |
| 75% | PK% | 92.3% |
Puck drop is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. ET. You can watch the game on TSN2, Sportsnet West and RDS, and listen to all the action on TSN Radio 690 and 98,5 fm.